Hotels join the fee-for-all party | usatoday.com
No, your high-rise hotel isn't about to sprout wings and fly off into the sunset. But you might forgive Edward Goodman for thinking the Bellagio wants to. When he phoned the Las Vegas resort to make a reservation recently, a recorded message informed him there would be a $10 booking charge. To avoid it, he could reserve his room online — just like an airline. "It's disturbing to hear that hotels are taking another page from the airlines' playbook," says Goodman, a Washington lobbyist. A few weeks ago, I suggested hotels should consider emulating some airline policies, including the 24-hour cancellation rule and offering a room credit. Unfortunately, the lodging industry prefers some of the more customer-unfriendly policies, including booking fees and "gotcha" add-ons.
